But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance

This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every moring: great is thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion saith my soul: therefore will I hope in him. The Lord is good unto them that wait for Him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD. Lamentations 3: 21-26

Saturday, November 14, 2009

I received an offer from Revell/Baker Publishing Group to join the blog book tour forThe Swiss Courier a while back. There were a lot of very positive reviews out there. Since I am a huge fan of historical fiction and this was an era that I didn't have fiction from, I agreed and looked forward to reading the book.

From the publishers: Award-winning authors Tricia Goyer and Mike Yorkey join forces for the first time with the release of their thrilling World War II-era fiction novel, The Swiss Courier.

Set in Switzerland during August 1944, The Swiss Courier whisks readers into the height of World War II as Nazi threats mount and governments race to develop the world’s first atomic bomb.

Gabi Mueller is a young Swiss-American woman working as a spy for the newly formed American Office of Strategic Services (the forerunner to the CIA) close to Nazi Germany. She is asked to put her life on the line to safely “courier” a defecting German nuclear physicist—who’s working on the atomic bomb project—out of Germany and into Switzerland, sending her into enemy territory to keep him (and his secrets) safe from the hands of the Gestapo.

As Gabi takes on this do-or-die mission, the fate of the world rests in her hands. If she can lead him to safety, she can keep the Germans from developing nuclear capabilities. But in a time of traitors and uncertainty, whom can she trust along the way?

This fast-paced, suspenseful novel takes readers along treacherous twists and turns during a fascinating—and deadly—time in history. Well-researched, The Swiss Courier includes true historical events to give the story greater authenticity. Danger, suspense and romance abound in this engaging page-turner.

Revell/Baker Publishing asks that as a member of the book tour I post my own review and I've had little problem with enthusiastic endorsements about the books I've read prior. This review has been a little harder; maybe given the seriousness of the subject matter and the era that it addresses I had higher expectations. While I thought The Swiss Courier was a good book, I'm not sure it lives up to the kudos I had read about it. Perhaps it is the limited size that limited the detail of the book.

It was pretty fast paced, but the characters were lacking in dimension. The main character Gabi Mueller is definitely sweet and likable. She is certainly a naïve young woman with limited vision. There were some rather stereotypical descriptions of secondary characters that included barmaids' bosoms and paramours that seemed unnecessary and interrupted the flow. If one were to only read this book as an account of the underground movement that defied Hitler, the reader might believe that only non-denominational Christians were the only members of the brave people who rescued, hid and transported to safety, the Jews who were brutally annihilated by the Nazi regime.

All in all it was a good book. If I were given to "stars" or "bookmark" ranking systems, I would give it a three and a half out of five. There are definitely some surprising twists and if you are looking for a Christian romance this would be a book you would enjoy.

Thanks to Revell/Baker Publishing for the copy of The Swiss Courier. Available October 2009 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

I will never be the same again,I can never return, I've closed the door.I will walk apart, I'll run the raceAnd I will never be the same again.

I will never be the same again,I can never return, I've closed the door.I will walk apart, I'll run the raceAnd I will never be the same again.

Fall like fire, soak like rain,Flow like mighty waters, again and again.Sweep away the darkness, burn away the chaff,And let a flame burn to glorify Your name.

There are higher heights, there are deeper seas,Whatever you need to do, Lord do in me.The Glory of God fills my life,And I will never be the same again.

Fall like fire, soak like rain,Flow like mighty waters, again and again.Sweep aways the darkness, burn away the chaffAnd let a flame burn to glorify Your name.

Fall like fire, soak like rain,Flow like mighty waters, again and again.Sweep away the darkness, burn away the chaff,And let a flame burn to glorify Your name.

I will never be the same again,I can never return, I've closed the door.I will walk the path, I will run the raceAnd I will never be the same again.And I will never be the same again.And I will never be the same again.

Joy is the great note all through the Bible. We have the notion of joy that arises from good spirits or good health, but the miracle of the joy of God has nothing to do with a man’s life or his circumstances or the condition he is in. Jesus does not come to a man and say “Cheer up.” He plants within a man the miracle of the joy of God’s own nature. –Oswald Chambers

Every day, each moment, every single breath is an new opportunity to search for, find and embrace “joy in all things.” I am a Catholic (revert) believer striving to be obedient and pleasing to my Heavenly Father.
I am a wife, mother of two sons, daughter, sister, aunt, niece and friend. Reader, collector of hobbies, eclectic homeschool & ballet mom.

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Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2

No matter how good food is, if poison is mixed with it, it may cause the death of him who eats it. So it is with conversation. A single bad word, an evil action, an unbecoming joke, is often enough to harm one or more young listeners, and may later cause them to lose God's grace.

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You can reach me at:

ourjoyfuldays @ gmail . com

Just take out the spaces!

It is never true that we have no time to meditate; the less one thinks of God, the less time there will always be for Him. The time one has for anything depends on how much we value it. Thinking determines the use of time; time does not rule over thinking! The problem of spirituality is never, then, a question of time; it is a problem of thought. For it does not require much time to make us saints; it requires only much love.

My Talented Husband

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.Romans 12:9-13